Farmer's Market in Poway

I want to apologize for not posting any new recipes recently.  It's been a busy few weeks, but things should be settling down again in a few days so I'll be back in the kitchen and posting my findings soon.  Come to think of it...I never told you how the Yellow Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup turned out, did I??  *gasp*  It was delicious.  It beat the Curried Cauliflower Soup by a landslide.  Will post soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a few pictures from my visit to the Farmer's Market in Poway last Saturday.  The Boy (my husband) and I had a great time browsing the booths and seeing all the beautiful colors.  I find that it's a great way to get to know what's in season, since the health food stores tend to sell most of their produce year round for convenience sake.  The live music and yummy samples were my favorite part!

All photos Courtesy of The Boy

Veg-N-Out: Eating Vegan in San Diego

As some of you know, it's not always easy to eat out when you're vegan.  That's why I was thrilled when I found Veg-N-Out.  They are a meat-free eatery in North Park, and everything there is vegetarian.  The wonderful thing is that around half the items on the menu can be made vegan!  I've been twice now and I'm in love.  They have a specialty burger called the T-Bird Burger, and I swear it tastes just like an In-N-Out Burger.  No joke.  It's made with a hash brown patty and piled high with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, vegan Thousand Island and avocado.  I didn't want to look like a total nerd, taking a picture of my food, so it's kind of hard to see all the goodies inside.  What was I thinking??  I'll do better next time, I promise!

T-Bird Burger

Last visit, I tried the Ali Burger, which is made with falafel.  Yummmm. Look how giant it is!

So ya.  You get the idea, right?  It's vegan heaven.

Curry Anyone?

I found this awesome recipe on my Whole Foods App and had to try it (thanks, facebookers, for your votes!  I'll get to the split peas tomorrow).  Imagine seeing creamy, curry, and soup all in one title...Irresistible!  And boy, did it deliver.  It was so creamy it tasted like a spicy bisque.  This recipe is super simple (don't let the seed-baking intimidate you, it's a snap) and it will make your house smell amaaaazing.  Oh, and try not to eat all the pumpkin seeds before the soup is ready.

Vegan Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup


Serves 4
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds, which is what I used)
3 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided
3 tsp mild curry powder, divided, and more to taste
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
5 cups (about 1 medium head) cauliflower florets

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a small bowl, toss sunflower (or pumpkin) seeds with 1 teaspoon almond milk and 1 teaspoon curry powder.

Spread out on a small parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake, tossing once or twice, until toasted and fragrant, 6-8 minutes (or 12 for pumpkin seeds); set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup almond milk in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add cauliflower, remaining 2 teaspoons curry powder and almond milk, cover and simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 40 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more curry powder if you like.  Using an immersion blender, carefully puree soup until smooth.

Alternately, puree in batches in a blender.  Transfer to bowls and garnish with sunflower or pumpkin seeds and serve.

Where's the BEEF? I mean...the BEETS!

I love beets.  But growing up, I always thought they only came in a can.  Don't laugh.  My mom is Japanese, okay??  Not a lot of communication in the pantry department!  Anyway, when I started working for Be Wise Ranch, a local organic grower in San Diego, they would give me a box of produce every week as a bonus.  One day, that box included beets.  So...I get it now.

I made this the other night.  It was so warming it made me wish it were colder out...

Vegan Borscht


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly into half-moons
4 medium sized carrots, grated
5 small beets, peeled and grated
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 bay leaf
2 Tbs brown rice syrup
6 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (or Water + 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon Reduced Sodium Vegetable Base)
1/2 large head or 1 small head of cabbage, thinly shredded
3 large red potatoes, skin left on, diced
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions, carrots and beets until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and brown rice syrup and cook for 1 minute.  Add broth, cabbage, potatoes, and season with pepper.  Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and lemon juice.  Add salt as needed.  Ladle soup into bowls and dollop with vegan sour cream.

Tip: If you like things a little spicy...add a teaspoon or two of cayenne before simmering.

Now, a question for you guys.  Would you rather see a recipe for Yellow Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup or Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup tomorrow?  I'm making one of these tonight and can't decide which.  Help!

Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips

This is my new favorite dessert because it's super easy to make and it totally hits the spot.  They're like rice crispy treats.  It comes from The Kind Diet cookbook.  It's vegan, and it's also considered macro if you leave out the chocolate chips (although I do have some issues with eating something with this much sweetener in it, even though it is the good kind of sweetener).  If you're trying to go macro, I suggest eating it only once or twice a week.

Before I get on with the recipe, I just want to add my 2 cents about grain-sweetened chocolate chips.  As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I don't usually like things that try to disguise themselves as other things.  If I want to eat chocolate, I'm going to eat chocolate.  But then I tried grain-sweetened vegan chocolate chips.  You can usually find Sunspire brand at natural food stores, and Jimbo's sells them in bulk.  They are usually sweetened with barley and corn, but you honestly don't taste any weirdness when you eat them.  I try, for the most part, to avoid sugar because I would rather not have headaches, puffiness and lethargy.  But that's just me.  So next time you go shopping for chocolate chips, give these little morsels a shot!

I'll get into other sweeteners, like brown rice syrup, next time.  For now, you're just going to have to trust me...Everyone I make these for loves them.  Even my sister-in-law, who swears she hates peanut butter.

Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips


Makes 9 to 12 squares


1 box brown rice crisps cereal (I usually find the Erewhon brand at Henry's)
1 3/4 cups brown rice syrup
Fine sea salt
3/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
1/2 cup grain-sweetened, non-dairy chocolate chips

Pour the rice cereal into a large bowl.  Heat the syrup with a pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat.  When the rice syrup liquefies, add the peanut butter and stir until well combined.  Pour over the rice cereal.  Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Once thoroughly mixed and cooled to room temperature, stir in the chocolate chips.  Make sure the mixture is cool, or you will end up with melted chocolate instead of chocolate chips in your treats.

Turn the mixture out into an 8"x8" or 9"x13" baking dish.  Wet your wooden spoon lightly and press the mixture evenly into the pan.  Let cool for 1 hour in the fridge.  I like to scoop out a bowl-full for snacking on while waiting for the rest to cool.  It's so good when it's still warm!

Be Wise Ranch - CSA

Look at this gorgeous head of lettuce!

And I don't call many foods gorgeous...

It comes from one of our local farms in San Diego - Be Wise Ranch.  They have a program called CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) where you can receive a box of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables every week or every other week.  They have locations all around San Diego so most likely you can find a pickup location that's close to you.  I used to work for Be Wise so I'm kind of partial...but their produce is amazing (maybe you've already been buying their stuff at Jimbo's?) and the people who work there are quite wonderful too.

If you don't live here in San Diego, check your area for CSA programs around you.  Or visit your local farmer's market for some local, seasonal goodies!

Oh.  Did you want to know what I did with that gorgeous head of lettuce?  

I made this awesome salad:

Salad:

1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces

1 ripe avocado, diced

1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion

8 red radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

generous amount of freshly ground pepper

juice of 2 small lemons

2-3 tsp maple syrup (adjust to your taste)

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.  In a seperate smaller bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until combined and slightly thickened.  Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.

Update:

Just picked up my box of Be Wise Ranch produce and had to share!

We're talking beets, two types of oranges, some more of that gorgeous red leaf lettuce, red potatoes, apples, bok choy, leeks, red radishes, strawberries, collards, green kale, butternut squash and a grapefruit!  All organic.  I'm such a health food nerd.

Getting To Know MISO

This one's for all you miso soup lovers.  

What is miso?

Miso is made from a bean (usually soy but not necessarily), sometimes a grain, salt, and a special bacteria called koji.  Because it's fermented and unpasteurized, miso is full of live enzymes that are great for digestion.  High in protein, vitamins (like E), minerals, and alkalizing to the blood, miso keeps the body balanced and happy, so it's fine to have miso every day if you'd like.  I do.  Sometimes I'll even have it once with breakfast and then again that night with dinner.  The minerals in miso also help support immune function because of it's zinc content.  I'm guessing all you sickies are wishing you've been eating a whole lot of miso soup lately...go make some right now!

Varieties ~

The different types of miso include:

• hatcho miso (made from soybeans)
• kome miso (made from white rice and soybeans)
• mugi miso (made from barley and soybeans)
• soba miso (made from buckwheat and soybeans)
• genmai miso (made from brown rice and soybeans)
• natto miso (made from ginger and soybeans)

Since there are so many varieties of miso out there, you might be wondering...

Which type of miso should I buy?

Be careful when buying miso from an asian market.  Most contain MSG, which is just not natural (and can cause headaches, nausea, heart palpitations...need I go on?).  Miso made with barley and aged at least 2 years is considered preferable to other misos in terms of its medicinal properties.  You can usually find barley miso at health food stores, or you can buy them online here or here.  If you try barley miso and you're not wild about it, try alternating with other misos that are more mild tasting.  Personally, I love barley miso.  It warms me from the inside out on the coldest days...

How do I make miso soup?

I thought you'd never ask!

Restaurant-Style Miso Soup

Serves 2

1 scallion, thinly sliced

2" piece wakame, cut into small pieces with scissors

1/4 of a block of soft or silken tofu, diced into small cubes

2 teaspoons barley miso

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium pot.  Reduce heat, add scallions and wakame to pot, and simmer over low heat for 6-8 minutes.  Fill a ladle with some of the soup broth, dissolve miso in it, and then add it back to the soup.  Add tofu cubes and heat on low heat for 2 more minutes.  Serve immediately.

You can easily turn this into a hearty soup by adding all kinds of things - boy choy, dandelion greens, kale, cabbage, brown onions, carrots and other root vegetables - whatever your little "asian" heart desires!

Info for vegans about getting your calcium!

I just found this article on how to meet your calcium needs on a vegan diet.  Had to share!

It has begun. Again.

I have so many things on my mind right now that I'm trying to make sense of.  But right now I only want to talk about something that always makes sense to me - FOOD.  The other stuff, I'm sure, will trickle out in weeks to come.

I feel like I have so many thoughts and ideas about food to share, though, that I don't even know where to begin.  Seriously.  I started making a list.  Some of you have been asking specifically for recipes.  To you I say:  I'm back and ready to start posting some vegan/macro goodness!  I've had a few months to read up more on eating a macro and vegan diet (the reason I'm mentioning both is because I'm doing kind of an 80%-20% thing right now...I'll explain in following posts), and I've been experimenting with recipes as well.  So they're coming, I promise.  And they are gooood.

Some of you have been asking how to use certain ingredients, for instance, the sea vegetables.  And some of you are just wanting to know what a day's menu would be like on the macro diet.  My plan (which may include mini detours along the way...) is to take one ingredient per post, explain it's benefits, and then share a recipe using that ingredient.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I'm back and that good things are coming!  For waiting so patiently...here's a recipe for some vegan Thumbprint Cookies I made recently.  I like that they're not sweetened with sugar, and yet are very delicious, and super cute!

P.S. For iPhone users, my new favorite App: Whole Foods Market Recipes or you can check their website.  That's where I found this recipe...


Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup almonds or pecans 
1 cup rolled oats 
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil 
1/2 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
Fruit juice sweetened jam (St. Dalfour has a good one)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put almonds and oats into a food processor and pulse until coarsley ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add flour, oil, syrup and salt. Stir to combine well. Roll walnut-sized balls of the dough in the palm of your hand to form each cookie, then arrange on 2 large baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Press your thumb gently down into the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Spoon a scant teaspoon of jam into each indentation. 

Bake cookies until golden brown and just firm around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to let cool completely, then serve immediately or store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Per serving (2 cookies/46g-wt.): 210 calories (110 from fat), 13g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 21g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 4g protein